Markwayne Mullin was officially sworn in as the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the White House on Tuesday, jumping right into massive headaches at airports and in the nation’s capital.
Mullin Sworn In
As reported on Wednesday’s AM Update, Attorney General Pam Bondi swore in the former Republican senator from Oklahoma to replace outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem, whose tenure unraveled amid a series of controversies, including scrutiny over a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign, backlash tied to her handling of a recent ICE surge in Minnesota, and allegations of an affair with a colleague.
Secretary Mullin has inherited a department under immense strain, with critical functions like TSA forced to carry on without pay amid a partial shutdown. Speaking from the Oval yesterday, Mullin sent a not-so-subtle message to his former colleagues to get a deal done.
“Today, I got the privilege of meeting so many of the employees at DHS. These employees have been there for 30 days without pay,” he said. “If you need anything to know their dedication to show up and still protect the homeland that you and I enjoy and the freedoms that we’re experiencing, they’re working with for free because of political politics. That’s all I need to know. I told them, as you’re fighting 365 days, understand I’ll be fighting 365 days besides you.”
The Shutdown
It has now been 39 days since DHS funding lapsed, as Senate Democrats have refused to provide the votes needed to reopen the department without reforms to immigration enforcement, like banning masks on agents in the field and requiring judicial warrants for some arrests.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram reported Tuesday that Senate Republicans working on a deal to fund most of the department with the exception of programs in ICE that Democrats find controversial. According to Pergram, the proposal would have funded ICE investigations – like cartels, traffickers, and child predators – but excluded programs for immigration enforcement and deportations.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) threw cold water on the plan, claiming his caucus is in lockstep despite the pain the shutdown is causing. “We have to rein in ICE and stop the violence. We need reform,” he told reporters. “Every one of my colleagues, every one, A, believes we should be unified, and, B, we need reforms of ICE. Every single one.”
Meanwhile, ICE agents have been called in to assist overwhelmed TSA officers at airports. Tuesday marked day two on the job and airports around the country have seen some improvement in wait times. TSA agents set to miss their second full paycheck this weekend if a deal is not made on Capitol Hill.
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